Aviat INC A-1 accident near Rolla, North Dakota, August 29, 2012
On August 29, 2012, a Aviat INC A-1, registered N49363, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Rolla, North Dakota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to secure the right wing's fuel cap before the flight and to properly manage the available fuel supply during the flight, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2012 · cases in 2012
- Place
- Rolla, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat INC A-1 · all A-1s on the register
- Registration
- N49363 · registry record · serial 1234
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he self-fueled the airplane with 40 gallons of fuel before the cross-country flight. About 10 miles from his destination airport, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot made a forced landing to a field and flipped over. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the right wing's fuel cap was missing and could not be located. The top of the wing area around the fuel cap and back toward the trailing edge was stained blue, which was consistent with fuel venting overboard. Examination of the left wing fuel tank revealed it was empty of fuel and less than 1 cup of fuel was drained from the right wing fuel tank. No mechanical malfunctions or anomalies were noted with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,680 hours in all
- Last flight review: April 21, 2011
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,432.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 2012
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airplane INC
The flight
- Departed from: HON Huron SD at 7:30 pm
- Destination: Rolla ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 9:35 pm from DVL, 55 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on July 31, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Written Statement - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Written Statement - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Written Statement - Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N49363 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aviat Inc A-1 88 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER · as the NTSB recorded it
- Huron Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in North Dakota 581 since 1982 · 59 in the last ten years
- North Dakota 2,495 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA587.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.